Cisco will not be killing Linksys after all

It appears that Cisco will not be killing off Linksys after all. Or so says Karen Sohl, a spokeswoman for Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc.

If you recall, the entire affair started when a video featuring Cisco's chief executive John Chambers speaking at a European press conference was posted on YouTube. In it, he mentioned that Cisco, which acquired Linksys in 2003, kept the Linksys name because it was better known among consumers in the United States, though not necessarily in the entire world.

But Sohl said the media reports took Chambers’ speech out of context. According to the Orange Country Register, the company’s official statement is:

“Linksys consumer and (small-medium business) products will continue to be marketed under the Linksys brand and co-exist in the market with Cisco branded connected home products over the near term. We will continue to examine our branding strategy going forward (as we have to date) and make changes if and when these changes add value to our customers’ decision making processes and our channel partners.”

Sohl says that the bloggers of the original report had not contacted Linksys or Cisco. If they had, "we'd love to have a conversation with them." Whoops, somehow I'm not so sure they would now.

So, the Linksys division will continue to live as the Linksys division.

Phew. That's good news, I suppose, if the feedback to our report in Cisco to kill Linksys was anything to go by.

Since we're on this topic, why not share with us why your favorite brand is well, your favorite?

By Paul Mah

Paul Mah is a writer and blogger who lives in Singapore, where he has worked for a number of years in various capacities within the IT industry. Paul enjoys tinkering with tech gadgets, smartphones, and networking devices.

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Paul Mah is a writer and blogger who lives in Singapore, where he has worked for a number of years in various capacities within the IT industry. Paul enjoys tinkering with tech gadgets, smartphones, and networking devices.